Across books · Theme
Love and Marriage as Transaction
Marriage is portrayed as a mercenary arrangement driven by property, social status, and parental manipulation, as seen in the Glowry and Toobad families, with genuine affection often secondary to financial considerations.
Love and Marriage as Transaction appears as a literary theme in 3 works in the BetterReads curated set. Each book develops the idea in its own plot, voice, and historical moment — the links below open the book-scoped theme guide beside the text.
Marriage is portrayed as a mercenary arrangement driven by property, social status, and parental manipulation, as seen in the Glowry and Toobad families, with genuine affection often secondary to financial considerations.
Marriage is repeatedly treated as a financial arrangement: Mrs. Mountchessington schemes to marry Augusta to the richest suitor, Coyle demands Florence's hand to cancel debts, and Asa's genuine love for Mary triumphs over mercenary motives.
Romantic relationships and marriages are portrayed as economic exchanges, where affection is traded for money, security, or social advantage, and promises are broken without consequence.
In each book3 titles
nightmare_abbey_se
Marriage is portrayed as a mercenary arrangement driven by property, social status, and parental manipulation, as seen in the Glowry and Toobad families, with genuine affection often secondary to financial considerations
Open theme guide →
our_american_cousin_se
Marriage is repeatedly treated as a financial arrangement: Mrs. Mountchessington schemes to marry Augusta to the richest suitor, Coyle demands Florence's hand to cancel debts, and Asa's genuine love for Mary triumphs ove
Open theme guide →
the_beggar_s_opera_se
Romantic relationships and marriages are portrayed as economic exchanges, where affection is traded for money, security, or social advantage, and promises are broken without consequence.
Open theme guide →